The Doctrine and Covenants

Section 38

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Fayette, New York, January 2, 1831. The occasion was a conference of the Church.

1–6, Christ created all things; 7–8, He is in the midst of His Saints, who will soon see Him; 9–12, All flesh is corrupted before Him; 13–22, He has reserved a land of promise for His Saints in time and in eternity; 23–27, The Saints are commanded to be one and esteem each other as brethren; 28–29, Wars are predicted; 30–33, The Saints are to be given power from on high and to go forth among all nations; 34–42, The Church is commanded to care for the poor and needy and to seek the riches of eternity.

1 Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great aI Am, Alpha and Omega, the bbeginning and the end, the csame which looked upon the dwide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic ehosts of heaven, fbefore the world was gmade;

3 I am the same which aspake, and the world was made, and all things came by me.

4 I am the same which have taken the aZion of bEnoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have cbelieved in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the dblood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.

5 But behold, the residue of the awicked have I kept in bchains of darkness until the cjudgment of the great day, which shall come at the end of the earth;

6 And even so will I cause the wicked to be kept, that will not hear my voice but aharden their hearts, and wo, wo, wo, is their doom.

7 But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine aeyes are upon you. I am in your bmidst and ye cannot csee me;

8 But the day soon cometh that ye shall asee me, and know that I am; for the bveil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not cpurified shall not dabide the day.

9 Wherefore, gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the akingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome.

10 Verily I say unto you, ye are aclean, but not all; and there is none else with whom I am well bpleased;

11 For all aflesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of bdarkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven—

13 And now I show unto you a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your adestruction in process of time, and ye knew it not;

14 But now I tell it unto you, and ye are blessed, not because of your iniquity, neither your hearts of unbelief; for verily some of you are aguilty before me, but I will be merciful unto your bweakness.

15 Therefore, be ye astrong from henceforth; bfear not, for the kingdom is yours.

16 And for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your aprayers, and the bpoor have complained before me, and the crich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no drespecter of persons.

17 And I have made the earth rich, and behold it is my afootstool, wherefore, again I will stand upon it.

18 And I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of apromise, a land bflowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no ccurse when the Lord cometh;

19 And I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you seek it with all your hearts.

20 And this shall be my covenant with you, ye shall have it for the land of your inheritance, and for the ainheritance of your children forever, while the earth shall stand, and ye shall possess it again in eternity, no more to pass away.

21 But, verily I say unto you that in time ye shall have no aking nor ruler, for I will be your king and watch over you.

22 Wherefore, hear my voice and afollow me, and you shall be a bfree people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your clawgiver, and what can stay my hand?

23 But, verily I say unto you, ateach one another according to the office wherewith I have appointed you;

24 And let every man aesteem his brother as himself, and practice bvirtue and holiness before me.

25 And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his abrother as himself.

26 For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am ajust?

27 Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be aone; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.

28 And again, I say unto you that the enemy in the secret chambers seeketh your alives.

29 Ye hear of awars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land.

30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, atreasure up bwisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

31 And that ye might escape the power of the aenemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without bspot and blameless—

32 Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the acommandment that ye should go to the bOhio; and there I will give unto you my claw; and there you shall be dendowed with power from on high;

33 And from thence, whosoever I will shall ago forth among all nations, and it shall be told them what they shall do; for I have a great work laid up in store, for Israel shall be bsaved, and I will clead them whithersoever I will, and no power shall dstay my hand.

34 And now, I give unto the church in these parts a commandment, that certain men among them shall be appointed, and they shall be aappointed by the bvoice of the church;

35 And they shall look to the poor and the needy, and administer to their arelief that they shall not suffer; and send them forth to the place which I have commanded them;

36 And this shall be their work, to govern the affairs of the property of this achurch.

37 And they that have farms that cannot be sold, let them be left or rented as seemeth them good.

38 See that all things are preserved; and when men are aendowed with power from on high and sent forth, all these things shall be gathered unto the bosom of the church.

39 And if ye seek the ariches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the briches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of cpride, lest ye become as the dNephites of old.

40 And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a commandment, that every man, both elder, priest, teacher, and also member, go to with his might, with the alabor of his bhands, to prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded.